The mysterious Mount Kailash Tour, revered by more than a billion
Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains, is arguably the holiest peak in the world. To
honor and circumambulate the sacred mountain, pilgrims from all across Asia go
through the breathtaking high-altitude terrain of isolated Western Tibet.
Despite the elevation, it's surprisingly accessible and one of the best
overland journeys in the world.
With its four sides pointing in the cardinal directions, the oddly
four-sided mountain rises sheer from the surrounding plain. Four of Asia's
major rivers—the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo), and
Karnali—spring from its slopes.
In an epic fight of sorcery, the Tantric magician Milarepa defeated his
Bön foe Naro Bönchung, establishing Buddhism's supremacy over the Bön faith
that was then practiced by the Tibetans. Hindus believe that Shiva and his wife
Parvati reside at Kailash.
Exploring the Circuit of Pilgrimage
One of the traditional treks in Asia is the three-day, clockwise Kailash Trekking. Although it isn't very demanding, you must be physically strong and well-acclimated because it takes you to high elevations, culminating at 5650m at the Drölma-La pass after beginning at 4670m. The days are short, and you can hire porters or yaks from the area to carry your belongings. The monasteries of Drira-puk and Zutul-puk offer basic pilgrim accommodations for the night or the option to camp along the way. Along the way, you will pass three monasteries, dozens of sacred locations with rocks etched with stone mantras, Tibetan nomads, Indian tourists, and Bön pilgrims.
Because of Kailash's immense spiritual power, some people believe that a single round, or kora, of the mountain, may atone for a lifetime's worth of sins. Visitors leave a remembrance of themselves on the mountain at a location called Shiva-tall, usually a piece of clothes or a strand of hair, as a reminder of the previous life they are leaving behind. Some pilgrims crawl like worms around the mountain, performing full-body prostrations, while others strive for 108 circles. Kailash Trekking China is as much a spiritual as a physical experience.